Internet

The Good...
A nice small old hotel, restaurant, bar with free wireless access run by a young couple.

Sat at a table in the bar section, totally welcomed. Had the occasionally beer, wine, coffee. Very relaxed, showed them Google Earth, which they downloaded and really got into.

Had a great breakfast one morning of eggs, ham and potatoes with wonderful bread and butter.

A relative came by with her two young daughters and we played peek-a-boo.

Piles of clothes and linens were ironed at one end of the bar room.

The Bad...
OK...I've got to have access to the internet, we'll be in France for a month and a half at least, let's try the cell phone giant Orange again.

Yes, we do have a solution for you!

Pre-paid, so no 2 year contract (a prior stumbling block), a tad expensive (buy the “dongle”), 6 hours of usage for around 100 Euros.

OK, let's do it!

Do you have a French bank account?

No, I'll just pay with a credit card or even cash if that's better for you.

Oh, sorry, you have to have a French bank account to buy this.

What?! It's pre-paid. I'll give you cash, just give me the device and sell me the minutes, when they expire it's done, no problem, I have cash!!!

We're very sorry, but the minutes must be paid for from a French bank account.

Oh Mon Dieu....are you crazy, they're pre-paid minutes....you should be able to pay for them any damn way you want to!

No Monsieur, we're not crazy, we're French!!!!!!!

The Ugly...
McDonalds...clean bathrooms and unlimited free wireless internet access!

Screaming children, MTV on multiple flat panel screens (can't escape it), search for an outlet (come on, someone has to vacuum the place nightly, don't they?), bad food smells, French people actually eating there, sit at a table, login and catch up, battery goes low, there has to be an outlet, walk around 1 more time, there it is, move, plug in and recharge, go outside with the laptop to use skype, talk until the battery goes down, back inside to recharge, oh no, there's a family at that table, but how long can they take to eat that crap...it's fast food, they don't leave, search again, find an outlet by the door, the vacuum cleaner must have a really long cord, try to get the battery recharged, MTV keeps going, make a few calls, can't take the MTV anymore, leave, write this knowing I have to return there....God I wish I had a French bank account!

-- Scott